LumenHAUS Receives National AIA Honor Award
Photo by Jim Stroup
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has selected the LumenHAUS as one of nine recipients of the 2012 AIA Institute Honor Awards for Architecture. This is the first time a university team has been given this honor. The award was presented on May 18th at the AIA National Convention in Washington, DC.
This prestigious national award is the highest honor bestowed on a work of architecture by the American Institute of Architects. According to the AIA website, the “Institute Honor Awards program recognizes achievements for a broad range of architectural activity to elevate the general quality of architecture practice, establish a standard of excellence against which all architects can measure performance, and inform the public of the breadth and value of architecture practice.”
Primary faculty advisors for the Virginia Tech LumenHAUS project from the School of Architecture + Design are Joseph Wheeler, AIA, Associate Professor of Architecture, Robert Dunay, FAIA, the T. A. Carter Professor of Architecture and Director of the Center for Design Research, Robert Schubert, Associate Dean for Research, and David “Chip” Clark, Visiting Instructor.
The awards jury was comprised of Rod Kruse, FAIA, Chair, BNIM Architects, Des Moines; Barbara White Bryson, FAIA, Rice University, Houston; Annie Chu, AIA, Chu & Gooding Architects, Los Angeles; Dima Daimi, Assoc. AIA, Rossetti, Farmington Hills, Michigan; Harry J. Hunderman, FAIA, Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc., Northbrook, Illinois; Scott Lindenau, FAIA, Studio B Architects, Aspen, Colorado; Kirsten R. Murray, AIA, Olson Kundig Architects, Seattle; Thomas M. Phifer, FAIA, Thomas Phifer & Partners, New York City; and Seth H. Wentz, AIA, LSC Design, Inc., York, Pennsylvania.
The jury commented that the “creative use of materials and the flexibility of its components quickly respond to changes in the environment through automated systems that optimize energy consumption. The plan and section are orchestrated by light and materials to enhance the perception of a small footprint. The interior is cleverly designed with comfortable if compact spaces, compatible materials, and a rationale and clear layout.”
The LumenHAUS is currently on display adjacent to Cowgill Hall on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, VA.